Round Two: Graceland

Graceland: Season 1, Episode 2 “Guadalajara Dog” (B-)

In its second installment, this show reaffirms its status as a USA summer offering, fully capable of delivering light dramatic entertainment. It’s not as easy to get attached to these characters as it has been some of the network’s previous charismatic protagonists, but that’s not to suggest that both Aaron Tveit’s Mike and Daniel Sunjata’s Briggs don’t possess their fair share of charm. Mike continues to cement his role as the incredibly resourceful and knowledgeable newbie with demonstrations of intellect like his cop-shooting course, which salvaged an operation Briggs has all but abandoned. Of course, Mike getting close to Briggs seems to have backfired, though Briggs suspecting Mike of turning on him so early suggests that what will surely be exposed as false information will only lead to Briggs trusting Mike more going forward. Mike does seem to be loyal to his superiors and intent on watching Briggs as he was tasked to do, but I’m sure that their experiences together will shift his perspective and he’ll soon be an unintentional ally of his current target. These episodes are certainly packed with many high-stakes situation, though they do seem to be mostly focused on Mike and Briggs, while the rest of the cast doesn’t get the opportunity to take the spotlight. Trying far-out food isn’t quite enough for a supporting player to stand out, and I think this show could be well-served by engaging Mike’s attention in affairs involving all of those around him and not just the man he’s supposed to be watching closely.